Sat 1 Feb 2003 The Times

Parachute payments to Rotherham breach regulations :ROTHERHAM, the club at the centre of slush fund allegations, have this season received at least £200,000 in payments that breach the sport’s regulations, The Times can reveal today. The disclosures raise new questions about the activities of Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) — the umbrella organisation for the 12 elite clubs — and, for the first time since the Rotherham affair came to light, the RFU itself.

Mon 20 Jan 2003 The Times

Rotherham stay upwardly mobile :ANOTHER victory for Rotherham, 34-10 over Manchester yesterday, as their battle with Worcester at the top of the National League first division goes on. Of course, Rotherham have been there, done that and bought the T-shirt in finishing first last season. Much good it did them.

Mon 20 Jan 2003 The Times

New lead in Rotherham inquiry :The information identifies the chief executive who, at the behest of his club chairman, allegedly took two cheques, one for £33,000 and a second for £35,000, to Premier Rugby meetings in the autumn of 2001 and the spring of 2002. It is said that the official did not know then what they were for, but realised their possible significance when the controversy surfaced last month.

Sun 19 Jan 2003 Scrum.com

Pearce to quit Shoguns :Bristol Shoguns chairman Malcolm Pearce is to leave the club at the end of the season. 
Pearce, who has spent five years at the club, has invested more than £5million in helping to turn round its fortunes. 

Thu 9 Jan 2003 The Times

Rotherham's owner is unable to meet critics :ATTEMPTS to question Mike Yarlett, the owner and chairman of Rotherham, the club implicated in “slush-fund” allegations, were thwarted yesterday. He was expected to attend a meeting of first division clubs, whose officials were anxious to speak to him about his plans for the club’s future. Jim Kilfoyle, the Rotherham chief executive, took his place, offering apologies for Yarlett.

Wed 8 Jan 2003 The Times

'Incriminating' tape uncovered in Rotherham inquiry :AS THE inquiry into the alleged Rotherham “slush fund” scandal gathered pace yesterday, evidence emerged of the existence of a tape-recording said to contain details of secret discussions between Premiership rugby union club owners at a meeting in London in December.

Tue 7 Jan 2003 The Times

Rotherham inquiry team is told of clubs' secret meeting: ALLEGATIONS that Premiership rugby union clubs considered bribing Rotherham not to take up their promotion place last season were given fresh impetus yesterday. The independent inquiry set up by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has received information claiming that three leading club figures held a secret meeting at a Jersey bank last August, only a fortnight before the new season began.

Tue 31 Dec 2002 BBC Sport

Rugby union: 2003 predictions Lewis Moody
The Leicester flanker cements his place in Clive Woodward's England team and continues to play with the pace and aggression that has made him such a favourite at Welford Road

Tue 31 Dec 2002 The Independent

Big questions overshadow good times at Gloucester: The recent rumblings over relegation and the depressingly messy slush fund affair are both side-effects of a commercial disease that has "terminal" written all over it. The disease goes by the name of penury

Sat 21 Dec 2002 The Times Online

Minnows need home comforts to turn tide: THE entry of the Zurich Premiership clubs into the sixth round of the Powergen Cup today and tomorrow offers the opportunity to contemplate a change in tactics for England’s knockout tournament. Since the four National Division One clubs to reach this stage already have the odds stacked against them, surely it is time to give them an automatic home draw.

Sat 21 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

Rotherham gung-ho over slaying giants: A cup upset by one of the four National League One clubs this weekend would cap one of the most uplifting periods for the underclasses in English club rugby since professionalism started.

Sat 21 Dec 2002 The Independent

Rotherham out to rub salt in Bristol wounds: Four of the most accomplished teams outside the English Premiership – Rotherham, Worcester, Exeter and Orrell – will take a swing at élite opposition in this weekend's Powergen Cup sixth round

Sat 21 Dec 2002 The Independent

Exeter eager to underline Premiership ambitions: Ninety-seven years ago, the first genuinely representative team of New Zealand rugby players – Dave Gallaher's "Originals" – pitched up at the County Ground in Exeter for a game against Devon, the opening fixture of a 33-match European tour.

Fri 20 Dec 2002 The Independent

Pearce appeals for funds as Bristol contemplate financial ruin: Four years ago, when Bristol Rugby Club did not possess a receptacle in which to relieve itself, the splendidly obsessive Malcolm Pearce piled in a small mountain of cash and professed his determination to keep top-level union alive in a city that, until the late 1980s, had been at the very forefront of the game.

Thu 19 Dec 2002 BBC Sport

Bristol seek £1m from fans Bristol Shoguns chairman Malcolm Pearce has asked fans and sponsors to donate £1m to allow the club to continue for the rest of the season.

Thu 19 Dec 2002 The Guardian

Premier clubs hire lawyer :English club rugby was heading for a fresh round of costly infighting last night after the Premiership owners engaged a lawyer to advise them on the inquiry into the Rotherham slush fund allegations.

Thu 19 Dec 2002 The Independent

Elite seek legal advice over 'Rotherhamgate': Diplomatic affairs between Twickenham and the privately-owned Premiership clubs cannot be said to have reached an all-time low:

Thu 19 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

Kennedy quick to deny claims of pay-off conspiracy: Sale owner Brian Kennedy stated yesterday that he would open every accounting book that he has in order to prove to a Rugby Football Union inquiry that there was no slush fund set up to persuade Rotherham not to accept promotion into the Premiership last season.

Wed 18 Dec 2002 Planet Rugby

RFU appoint QC to investigate conspiracy claims: Despite the denials of the leading English clubs, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have appointed a leading lawyer to investigate the recent claims that Zurich Premiership clubs paid Rotherham to stay in Division One last season.

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The Times Online

RFU launches inquiry into Rotherham allegations: THE Rugby Football Union (RFU) has appointed a leading QC to conduct an inquiry into the alleged “slush fund” discussed by the leading English clubs. It has been claimed that money was to be made available to avoid promotion and relegation to and from the Zurich Premiership last season and that

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The Times Online

RFU launches inquiry into Rotherham allegations: THE Rugby Football Union (RFU) has appointed a leading QC to conduct an inquiry into the alleged “slush fund” discussed by the leading English clubs. It has been claimed that money was to be made available to avoid promotion and relegation to and from the Zurich Premiership last season and that

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The Guardian

QC asks if clubs paid to stop promotion : A leading barrister has been asked by the Rugby Football Union to conduct an independent inquiry into allegations that 12 Premiership clubs conspired to pay Rotherham to decline promotion from National Division One last season.

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

Pay-off claims prompt inquiry: Claims that England's top teams conspired to buy off Rotherham became a serious issue yesterday when the Rugby Football Union announced that an independent inquiry would be set up

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The Independent

Elite deny allegations that Rotherham were paid to stay down: England's elite professional clubs banded together in common cause yesterday to deny making slush-fund payments to Rotherham, last season's National Division One champions, in an effort to protect their own top-flight status.

Wed 18 Dec 2002 The RFU

RFU Management Board confirm promotion and relegation 2002/03: The RFU Management Board held its regular monthly meeting at Twickenham this morning.

Tue 17 Dec 2002 The RFU

Premier Rugby Statement: Today representatives of Premier Rugby met the RFU's disciplinary officer Robert Horner following allegations made in the Press that the ‘Owners’ have induced Rotherham to fail the promotion criteria last year and have done so this season as well. Robert Horner did not present any evidence to support these claims.

Tue 17 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

RFU to rule on Rotherham row : Rugby Football Union disciplinary officer Robert Horner expects to reveal his verdict this afternoon on the claims of the Worcester owner, Cecil Duckworth

Mon 16 Dec 2002 The Times Online

Pearce vows to cut his losses and quit Bristol: MALCOLM PEARCE, the owner of Bristol, last night revealed that he will walk away from the Memorial Stadium at the end of the season after losing almost £10 million bankrolling the club over the past five years.

Mon 16 Dec 2002 The Guardian

Judge to head slush fund inquiry : A high court judge will this week be asked to head an independent inquiry team charged with getting to the bottom of allegations that a number of Zurich Premiership owners set up a slush fund last season with the aim of persuading the First Division champions Rotherham to fail the criteria for promotion

Sun 15 Dec 2002 The Independent

Tim Glover: Game loses its way in a fog of suspicion: The need is for more light and less heat as Duckworth cries 'conspiracy' and Rotherham hope history is not repeated

Sat 14 Dec 2002 The guardian

Talks begin to merge Newport and Bristol : Newport are holding talks with Bristol about a merger which would see the combined team playing in the Zurich Premiership and based at Rodney Parade from next season.

Sat 14 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

RFU's Rotherham probe: The Rugby Football Union look set to appoint a top, independent legal figure to lead an inquiry into allegations that some Premiership clubs considered paying Rotherham

Sat 14 Dec 2002 The Independent

Leading clubs join ranks to put case for Premiership expansion: England's leading professional clubs, in fear of relegation and uncomfortable at the prospect of an independent inquiry into allegations of sharp practice over the Rotherham affair at the end of last season, are to press for a 14-team Premiership next term.

Thu 12 Dec 2002 The Guardian

Union to probe 'slush fund' claim : Twickenham last night launched an investigation into claims that a number of Zurich Premiership clubs set up a £600,000 slush fund to tempt the first division champions Rotherham not to take their place in the top flight.

Thu 12 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

RFU To Probe Pay Off Claim:  The Rugby Football Union are to consider whether there are any grounds for sanctions against their top clubs after receiving information last night from Worcester owner Cecil Duckworth

Thu 12 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

Gloves are off in relegation debate: From small acorns. Rob Andrew started it 10 days ago, Newcastle's director of rugby vehemently advocating the idea of a ring-fenced Zurich Premiership. I suggested in reply that denying promotion to and relegation from the game's elite stifled ambition and closed the door on clubs that had legitimate claims to be part of the top flight.

Wed 11 Dec 2002 Planet Rugby

Sharks deny skulduggery: Brian Kennedy, the Sharks' Chairman, has stated that the allegations that Premiership clubs had bought off Rotherham at the end of last season are devoid of all truth.

Wed 11 Dec 2002 The Times Online

RFU called on to investigate misconduct claims: CECIL DUCKWORTH, the owner of Worcester, last night made a formal protest to the RFU demanding that action be taken to investigate rumours of alleged misconduct by Zurich Premiership clubs involving promotion and relegation last season. Duckworth made his move — which has been backed by First Division Rugby

Wed 11 Dec 2002 The Guardian

Clubs told to open their books: The top five clubs in National League One are to be audited by the Rugby Football Union to ensure they fulfil the financial conditions for

Wed 11 Dec 2002 The Indepenent

RFU dismisses Rotherham rumours: The Rugby Football Union says it will be flabbergasted if Rotherham, favourites to win the National League One title and, by extension, a place in the Premiership, fail to pass a second and final promotion audit at the end of March.

Wed 11 Dec 2002 The Telegraph

RFU To Play Fair On Promotion: The promotion and relegation goalposts will not be moving anywhere this season after the Rugby Football Union pledged yesterday that they would ensure that their regulations on the matter would be strictly enforced.

Wed 11 Dec 2002 The RFU

Meeting between RFU and Cecil Duckworth : Graeme Cattermole, Chairman of the RFU Management Board said today. "I can confirm that Francis Baron, the RFU Disciplinary Officer, Robert Horner and I met Cecil Duckworth,

Sun 8 Dec 2002 The Independent

Selfish clubs are putting the game's future at risk, claim Newcastle: Newcastle's chairman, David Thompson, has questioned the validity of the agreement which stipulates automatic relegation from the Premiership at the end of the season

Fri 6 Dec 2002 The Independent

Andrew abandons prudence in attempt to rescue Newcastle: The Newcastle director of rugby, Rob Andrew, cut their wage bill by a significant amount last summer when he bade fond farewells to a quintet of seasoned internationals including Va'aiga Tuigamala, the most lavishly-rewarded player in the English club game.

Tue Dec 3 2002 The Guardian

Angry Owners:  Moves to increase rugby union's Zurich Premiership from 12 to 14 clubs from next season have been rejected, much to the annoyance of many club owners concerned that their multi-million-pound investments could be ruined by relegation.